


West of Forever

by SA_Wolfie



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:00:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25860976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SA_Wolfie/pseuds/SA_Wolfie
Summary: Hope is the notorious gunslinging heir to the well-known and well-feared Mikaelson gang, but would she change when she finds herself on the opposite end of the law from the one woman she could possibly ever give a damn about?Or would this one woman let go of her sweet and dandy high society life and give in to her more dangerous impulses?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 16
Kudos: 46





	1. Love is but a luxury

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys can have some fun with my AU Hosie story! Yes, it is heavily inspired by Red Dead Redemption, which I am currently playing my way through. This fic doesn't update as fast as Surreptitious (which is my main focus), but it's fun to play with when I'm in the mood!

There was something utterly invigorating about the fresh valley breeze as it ruffled the grass all around where Hope Mikaelson was resting her head. Sprawled out on her back on the banks of the river, she allowed her eyes to drift closed as she listened to birdsong and the far-off knocking of hooves. The patch she occupied wasn't too far from the dirt road that ran around Mystic Falls, but it was far enough to allow her some privacy and peace of mind. Lounging in the warm sun and allowing the afternoon rays to bake the leather of her chaps to a toasty temperature was one of her absolute favorite pastimes.

"She's so into you, Mikaelson." Penelope teased off to Hope's left, her head also resting in the grass a foot away from Hope's. She was Hope's best friend and one of only a handful of age mates in the gang.

The Mikaelson gang of outlaws - or rather just "The Mikaelsons", as they preferred to be called - was a rag-tag group of misfits and heathens alike. Whichever way one chose to think about them, everyone knew they were not to be messed with as their bite was by far worse than their bark. The gang often moved from town to town and was notorious in more than just a few counties, however they rarely had the law sniffing at their door as they were known for leaving a trail of blood and yet no bodies.

"She's not. She just wants attention. She's been a bit testy lately." Hope responded nonchalantly to her friend's poke, not concerned in the least about Maya Machado's most recent whims.

"Yeah, test-ing the waters around you. Did you not even notice her blatant flirting last night?" Penelope rolled her head to the side to observe Hope better, a smirk adorning her lips while her green eyes shone with cat-like mischief.

Hope rolled her head to meet Penelope's gaze, one of her carefully sculpted brows arching in question. "With me? Did you not see her dancing and mucking about with MG all night?"

"Oh we both know that was just a ploy to make you jealous. MG doesn't even like her." Penelope arched her brow to match Hope's.

Hope sighed and rolled her head back to look up at the blue sky above them once more. "And neither do I." She shrugged then. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Maya. On the contrary; Maya was gorgeous, with her dark locks and pointed gaze that seemed as if though it could look right through you. She was also good company more often than not and often showed a sort of carefree spirit that Hope longed for herself.

Hope was the Mikaelson heir, which did not afford her a lot of freedom. She often felt like she carried the weight of the world upon her back, along with the Mikaelson name. Her father, Klaus, had been the progenitor of the clan and built it into the thriving family unit it was today, and it was well-understood among the whole group that when Hope was old enough she would take the reins. The infamous Klaus Mikaelsen, along with his brother Elijah and Hope's mother Haley, had met his untimely end at the hands of a rival gang when Hope was merely 15 years old, which many of her family members believe had hardened her to a lot of the goodness to be found in life. There seemed to be a seed of darkness and hatred deep within her heart, and a perpetual chip on her shoulder.

"God, you're such a drip. Suit yourself, Mikaelson." Penelope scoffed and rolled over in the grass before lifting herself to her feet. "I'm headed back to camp. Who knows - maybe I can cash in on what you're passing up."

Hope rolled her eyes and tilted her head to watch her friend pull herself up onto her horse and adjust one of the straps on her saddle that seemed to be annoying her. "Jesus Pen, you have absolutely no shame."

Penelope grinned then as she pulled at the reins, steering her horse in the direction that the gang's camp was situated. "Nope. None. Besides... A girl's got needs. And don't even pretend like you're any different!" With the final mocking jest at her friend, the raven-haired girl was galloping off, leaving a veil of dust in her wake.

Hope frowned as she watched the fluffy white clouds of the late afternoon drift past, trying to make sense of the shapes they formed as she contemplated Penelope's parting words. Hope did not feel that she had the luxury of getting involved with anyone. She had just passed her 19th birthday and as she grew older she could feel the expectations upon her getting heavier. Since her father's passing, her adopted older brother had been leading the gang in the interim. Hope felt like Marcel was doing an outstanding job and for the most part she could not understand why things had to change. She was just not keen on the responsibility that so often seemed to bring such a strong man like Marcel to his knees. But she was very aware of what was expected of her. With every passing day she could see it in the way her aunts looked at her with pity, and her uncle watched her with pride, and Marcel himself kept her close to his side with a firm hand. She was being trained. Every damn step she took and every move she made had to be with precision and purpose. Every decision she was forced to make was a test of her resolve and a measure of her competence. Sometimes it was hard to just breathe.

Which is why she treasured moments like the current one so much. It wasn't often that she could simply exist in a bubble where she wasn't looking down the barrel of a gun from either side. Deep down Hope was a simple person that truly enjoyed the simple things in life. She loved nature and being on the trail, exploring the countryside, which allowed her to feel that sense of freedom that so often eluded her. Her journal was her constant travel companion, though she used it more for sketching than for writing. Her artistic ability was one thing she was truly happy to have inherited from her father, and she would often - as often as she could - simply lose herself in a beautiful landscape, or even something as simple as the twisted remnants of a once proud tree.

It was just as Hope sat upright and got comfortable in the grass with her legs crossed underneath her, hands fumbling with her journal and pencil, that she heard the commotion: hooves were shooting along the gravel of the nearby path like a gattling gun, the thunderous roar highlighted only by the hysterical screams of a young woman.

Hope didn't think twice before springing into action, her immediate instinct driving her to jump into mounting her own horse and ram her heels into the black mare's sides. The magnificent beast - a creature of envy by all - rocketed without hesitation in the direction that Hope steered its reins, furiously sprinting after the calls of the distressed female.

Galloping down the road and further away from town, Hope chased after the man as he urged his deep brown Morgan faster and faster, a fair young woman seemingly hogtied and hooked onto the back of his saddle as she hung helplessly over the croup of the horse. As Hope inched closer and closer she could tell that the woman was definitely distressed, but her cries were more out of anger than agony as she could hear her cursing at the fiend.

"I said shut it!" The large mustouched man roared and swung his hand at the young woman's face, causing her to yelp in pain. Hope could feel volcanic fury building within her chest at the display, causing her to grit her teeth hard and propel her horse even further in order to catch up to the pair.

"Hey asshole! Didn't your momma ever teach you how to treat a lady?" Hope called angrily from where she was now flanking the man, one hand holding onto the reins of her horse as they sped along the road, while the other reached for the six-shooter holstered just under her hip. 

"This ain't none of your business, wench!" The dirty scoundrel hollered back and plucked his pistol from the holster under his arm, swiftly swinging it around to aim at Hope, and pulled the trigger. A loud echoing shot rang through the mountains.

Luckily, few people could match Hope's reflexes, and as she swerved out of the way of the barrel of the gun, she securely gripped her steed with her legs and thrust both her arms out towards the man. She grabbed onto the arm that had swung towards her and gave one hard yank, utilizing every tight sinew and muscle in her small frame in order to pull the man from his saddle. He dropped haphazardly to the ground amidst the still galloping horses and Hope couldn't help but snort victoriously as she heard the sickening crunch of breaking bones underneath stomping hooves.

"Get me off, please!" The young woman called out to Hope as the horse she was attached to barely slowed down its pace as it continued along the road. Hope quickly reached for the rope that was coiled and hooked onto the one side of her saddle and started swinging it in a winding fashion before tossing it towards the wayward steed. The lasso looped around the horse's neck, allowing Hope to tug and pull the animal into submission as she cooed at it to calm down and slow to a stop.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Hope uttered quickly as she jumped from her horse before it had even completely halted its movements and rushed to pull the girl from the back of the other horse, careful that neither of them stepped behind the animal's strong rear legs for fear of receiving a kick from the antsy steed.

"Not to be rude, but does it look like I'm okay?" The girl was a mess, as anyone could see, but as Hope lowered her to the grass against a nearby tree and released her from her bonds, she could never in a million years ignore how fucking beautiful the young woman was. Her dark brown hair fell in messy locks to her shoulders and some strands stuck to her flushed cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she pulled at the strings of her bodice in an attempt to loosen it slightly, while her other hand tried to smooth over the tears in the material of her blue dress. Her eyes were dark pools of intense emotion as she flicked her gaze to a flustered Hope, who in turn was just staring at the girl stupidly as she kneeled before her.

"I'm sorry. I'm alive... Thanks to you. Truly." The girl finally said once it seemed like she had calmed down a bit and offered a genuine smile at Hope. "I'm really not sure what would have happened to me if you hadn't..." She trailed off and shook her head, her intense gaze settling on the pools of blue before her as if she was trying to convey some secret message. 

"No, don't mention it. I'm just glad you're okay..." Hope smiled bashfully at the girl before holding out her hand to help her up. "Let me take you home. That was quite an ordeal." Hope swallowed hard as the girl stepped into her personal space and caused the young outlaw's mind to become uncharacteristically foggy. In that moment all she could focus on was the feel of the girl's soft hand within her own, the magnetism of her dark gaze, and even the scent of spring blossoms that seemed to waft effortlessly from her. Hope felt frozen and yet on fire at the same time. A delicious shiver ran down her spine as she briefly studied the young woman before her, eyes finally settling on the most alluring pair of pouting lips that Hope could not help but wonder what they would taste like.

The young beauty quickly shook her head and pushed past Hope, leaving her dumbstruck, as she headed for the horse she was helplessly tied to just moments before. "No point in wasting a good mount." She grinned and hoisted herself into the saddle before turning the horse around and looking down at Hope who was watching her, awestruck. "Maybe I'll see you around." She flashed the most gorgeous smile Hope had ever seen, causing her heart to catch solidly in her throat as she watched the girl give the horse a kick and canter off towards the town as if nothing had happened.

"Wow..." She breathed out after a few silent moments and shook her head, still staring in the direction the beauty had disappeared into.


	2. Camp life and money lending

"Hey Sugar, how you holding up?" Maya crooned at Hope as she walked past the wagon where the young lady had been seated, peeling potatoes. Maya was usually on cooking duty along with Freya, while Keelin and Ethan took care of most of the hunting that needed to be done in order to keep the gang well fed and strong. Mostly it was just pheasants, turkey or even a rabbit or two on a bad day. But every now and then they would manage to haul in a deer and the gang would feast for at least a week! 

Hope tipped her hat politely to Maya. "Oh, you'd be wasting your time worrying about me. You know they say I'm a lost cause around here." She joked with the young female. "Oh honey don't be silly!" Maya called back as she eyed Hope walking past slowly, "Around here they call you nothing but trouble!" Hope laughed and merely shrugged her shoulders innocently, then continued on her way. She moved through tents and carriages and more wagons for various purposes or cargo. She could see Kaleb's boots poking out from the entrance to the small triangle of a tent that held his sleeping matt and bag, the young fellow still snoring away even though it was almost 9am already.

"Wake up, lazy bones!" She called into the tent and kicked the soles of his boots, causing him to stir and groan inside the tarp covering. He had passed out drunk at 3am again, no doubt. The boys did tend to get a little raucous by the campfire some evenings.

MG was already up and drinking his coffee as he sat next to Penelope, chatting idly about some or other business where they rested in the soft grass with their backs leaning against a large chunk of chopped down tree. Penelope sent a wink at her best friend as she walked past, causing Hope to roll her eyes at the minx - as Hope liked to call her.

Finally she approached the larger tent set up closest to the small cliff edge - naturally this tent had the best view. It also had the most luxuries: furs and pelts of all sorts decorated the interior, along with other odds and ends for aesthetic pleasure. Hope's aunt Rebekah was lounging on a chair inside, while Marcel stood by the entrance, smoking a cigarette as he watched the young Mikaelsen approach. From somewhere inside the tent there was a gramophone crooning out some sort of melody, Rebekah casually humming along as she fanned herself in an attempt to ward off some of the early morning heat.

"What's good today, little sis?" Marcel flashed his famous Gerard grin at the younger girl, then held his cigarette out to her to share a drag or two. He looked rather handsome in his town pants and French vest, his flat cap hanging low on his brow. "Kol's been looking for you. He's got some money that needs collecting."

"Kol's always got some money that needs collecting. Why can't he send the boys?" Hope sighed and dropped the cigarette after one final drag, then ground the bud into the soil with her boot. She didn't much feel like getting into trouble today. No... Today she felt like visiting the town and having a drink at every damn saloon and tavern she could find, until she found what she was really looking for - the young lady she had saved the previous day. Those dark eyes had haunted Hope's dreams all throughout the night; and she didn't even have a name to go by.

"He is sending the boys, but you're at the helm. We all know you're the best." He tried to charm her with his smooth tone of voice and lightly shoved her shoulder with a loose fist, then motioned in the direction of her uncle Kol's tent. Hope sighed again and sauntered off.

When she reached the tent in question, the door flap was closed and she could hear the distinct sounds if Davina's giggling and yelping coming from inside. "Hey, are you two just about done, or do I need to come back later?" she called through the flap and heard the lady scolding her uncle after getting caught in such a compromising situation. Hope could only laugh.

The next second Davina came storming out of the tent, flushed, waving her hands around. "I'm so sorry Hope dear, but your uncle is a damn brute, I say!" She yelled over her shoulder, more at the man who was now poking his head out of the tent than at the girl waiting in front of it. "Don't pretend, my love! We both know you like them brutish!" He called back at her as he stepped out of the tent with a broad grin on his face, his shirt untucked and his hair messy.

"I am so glad that I have such an amazing role model to look up to." Hope threw the words at him in jest as she placed her hands on her hips, leaning to one side as she waited for her uncle's instructions. "So? I ain't got all day!"

"Fine, fine. I swear to God you women are so impatient." Kol joked in return as he tied the entry flap of his tent to the pole on the outside frame in order to keep it open, then took a seat at the makeshift desk he had set up in one corner, stacked out of crates and some wooden planks.

"If you're gonna be swearing to God, you best be swearing that you'll start treating me nicer, lest you find yourself waking up one morning with only half a head of hair." Hope arched one brow at her uncle defiantly.

"Don't joke, little one. God knows you need me too much." He smirked at her self-satisfactorily as he shifted through some papers, then handed her one. "Cranston is the name. Homestead is just south south-east from town. He owes a pretty penny. Slimy character, might try to jump you, so take Kaleb and MG with for backup."

Hope nodded simply as she quickly scanned the page, then pocketed the parchment in her fitting pair of ranch jeans, just inside her chaps. She adjusted her belt and holster, let her fingers slide gently over her pistol, and then tipped her black hat slightly forward on her head.

It was time for business.


	3. Lawfully problematic

"How much farther?" MG moaned in question as he rubbed his back while holding onto his horse's reins with the other. "My backside is killing me."

"Maybe if you didn't spend so much time on your backside it'd hurt less, tomcat." Kaleb scoffed and laughed at him from where he was trotting along on his own horse.

"I heard you fell down real hard for Maya the other night." Hope joined Kaleb in teasing MG, glancing over to him and wagging her brows for effect.

"Friends, a gentleman does not kiss and tell!" MG grinned like the cat that got cream, though both Hope and Kaleb knew that he had a slight tendency to embellish the truth a little bit on occasion.

"Yeah yeah, shut up. It's just up ahead and we don't need to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves." Hope lowered her voice authoritatively and slowed her black stallion down into a slower walk as she wound up the path between the trees that seemed to lead to the front of the small homestead. Kaleb and MG flanked her on either side, staying slightly behind her.

The place seemed dead quiet. This either meant that the guy they were looking for was hiding, or had already given them the slip. Hope motioned for MG to stay on his horse as he was the faster rider between him and Kaleb. He would give chase should the need arise. To Kaleb she motionioned to go around the back of the farmhouse, while Hope herself carefully walked towards the front door.

With her right hand resting on the grip of her six-shooter that was holstered on her right hip, she raised her hand to the door and knocked precisely twice, loudly enough to be heard all throughout the house. "Hey mister Cranston, why don't you come on out here so you and I can have ourselves a friendly little chat?" Hope called out to the 'client' of the gang and listened carefully for movement anywhere inside the closed-off house, but she could hear nothing.

Hope then glanced back over her shoulder at MG who had been circling the property on his horse. He simply shook his head to indicate that he couldn't see anyone around. So, Hope dropped her hand from where it had knocked and onto the handle, slowly and carefully pushing down on it to find it unlocked. "Hey mister Cranston, I couldn't help but find your door unlocked. You need to be careful now - you never know what kind of unsavory characters are hanging about."

There was still no answer and no signs or sounds of occupation, though Hope figured the man could still be hiding somewhere inside as she moved carefully from the entryway into the lounge. As soon as she put her foot through the threshold, she found the barrel of a revolver pressed against her temple from the right side, the imposing person too close to her body for her to react by pulling out her right-side pistol.

"Breaking and entering is against the law, miss Mikaelson. So is intimidation and extortion." The snappy words uttered in her right ear came from one officer Landon Kirby, son of the local sheriff and wannabe hero.

Hope rolled her eyes and watched as officer Waithe stepped into the room from the adjoining dining room, his own pistol aimed at her. She whistled then in warning to Kaleb and MG who knew that the sound meant they had to get out fast. The two disappeared, taking Hope's horse with, and high-tailed it back to camp before the law enforcers caught them as well.

"Do that again, Mikaelson, and you might find a hole or two in your boot." Rafael grinned and growled out at the same time as Landon pushed Hope face up against the wall in order to bend her arms behind her back and cuff her wrists together.

"You know I'm pretty sure entrapment is also against the law, officers. And I don't believe either of you actually saw me commit a crime, now did you?" 

"We don't need to have seen you do the deed to know what you were up to. We all know you can't keep your nose clean, Mikaelson." Landon laughed as he unbuckled Hope's gun belt and bandolier, handing both over to Rafael before doing a thorough search of Hope's jeans and coat in order to make sure she didn't have any other weapons stashed away anywhere.

Hope laughed as she complied by moving whichever way Landon needed her to while doing his search. "Oh please, officer Kirby. We both know your allegations won't stick. You're wasting your time."

Finally Landon let Hope turn back around to face him, satisfied that he had thoroughly disarmed and restrained her. "Having you sleep in the cage for at least one night is well worth the effort." He lead her outside with a self-satisfied strut where their police wagon was waiting, driven on over at an agreed upon time by their newest rookie.

"You know, mister Kirby, this is an awful lot of trouble to go through just to get me to pay you some clearly much needed attention." Hope grinned teasingly as Landon hoisted her into the cage on the back of the wagon in order to transport her to the sherrif's office and jail cells down on Main Street in Mystic Falls town. "Why so desperate? I heard you got yourself a pretty little lady. Ain't she satisfying enough? Has she been holding out on you?" Hope tried her utmost to get underneath Landon's skin with her mocking tone as she eyed him like a hawk through the bars of the cage. She could see it was working by how the look on his face became thunderous at the talks of his lady friend."

"You think you've got a real smart mouth, don't you Mikaelson? We'll see how smart that mouth is in the morning after a long and sleepless night on the cold stones of the cell I have waiting for you." He snapped back at her as he cracked the reins on the two work horses pulling the police wagon.


	4. Notorious by name

Hope felt a pain shoot through her shoulder as she hit the cold stone floor of the cell that Rafael tossed her into, his bigger and stronger frame making him more effective at the muscle work than the smaller Officer Landon Kirby. Hope rolled over and pulled herself onto her knees, slightly winded and coughing, though there was laughter slipping out between the coughing.

"Wow officers, you sure know how to show a lady a good time." She chuckled sarcastically as she caught her breath and finally pushed herself to her feet. She slowly stepped over to the bars of her new cage and casually gripped one in each hand above her head, then relaxed her stance - ever the cool and calm 'villain'.

"Lady? I don't see no lady 'round here." Landon smirked at the outlaw.

"Well, I do." Hope grinned at him, her gaze pointed and insinuating.

"Shut your damn mouth, Mikaelson!" Landon ground out gruffly through gritted teeth as he hit the bar in front of Hope's face, extremely irritated by her insolence. "Or I'll happily extend your stay..."

"Aww see now, I knew you had a thing for me." She continued teasing him, loving how his ears burned hot at her continuous poking. It was one thing she learned from her uncle Kol - breaking down a person's pride makes them much more susceptible to weaknesses.

"The only thing I have for you is a short rope and an even shorter drop." Landon scowled at Hope, the threat clear in these words he uttered lowly, but thoroughly. Rafael put a hand on his shoulder as if to try and pull him back. 

Hope bristled at his last taunt - his words more of a threat and not so funny anymore. The smile dropped from her face at the same time her hands dropped from the bars and she silently turned around. Walking over to the bench her cell came equipped with, she casually sat down and leaned her back against the wall, crossing her legs lazily at the ankles. "Be sure not to make promises you can't keep, officer." She muttered in return but there was a certain coldness and clarity to her words that sent shivers down both young men's spines. Hope casually pulled down the front tip of her black stetson over her eyes and crossed her arms, done conversing for the moment.

The door swung open with a heavy creak as Sheriff Mal V. Kirby entered the office and fixed his son with a stern look for a moment, then glanced over to their newest captive. He quirked one heavy brow and pulled his lips into a thin, disapproving line as he grabbed Landon by the rolled up sleeve of his shirt and tugged him aside. "I thought I told you to leave the Mikaelsons alone." He growled under his breath at his son, their backs turned to Hope. That did not stop her from trying her best to eavesdrop - very inconspicuously, of course.

"Father, I caught her red-handed!" Landon spat out with indignation.

"I don't care if you caught her hands on fire - I told you to steer clear of them! The last thing I need right now is a furious Marcel breaking down my door! You KNOW we have bigger fish to fry at the moment, so unless she's shooting up half the town, you let her be!" The sheriff was clearly infuriated at the prospect of his son stirring up trouble with the notorious gang when it wasn't quite needed. He knew the gang was smart, resourceful, and extremely dangerous, while his son had an overpowering and dimwitted desire to prove himself.

"Sir, I..." Landon started, but his father only gripped his sleeve more tightly.

"You let her out of here at first dawn and then I don't want to see her face here again. Understood?" The Sheriff's words were spoken with a harsh finality. Landon nodded. "Now, what I actually NEED you to do is to get these posters up for our newest bounty. He's our prime suspect in the incident. Have you spoken to Josette yet?"

"Yes sir, briefly. She seems to be doing fine. I will be accompanying her to dinner tonight at her father's behest." Landon spoke calmly as he stood up straight and squared his shoulders in some miserable attempt to look more proper than he really was. Hope would not be fooled by his pretentiousness for one second.

"Good. You must strengthen the relationship between our families." The Sheriff said simply and gave Landon a rather harsh pat on the shoulder that seemed to rattle through the young man's entire ribcage. His father was much larger than he was and he hated his small stature more than he could express. 

"Yes sir." Landon spoke to the retreating back of his father as the Sheriff exited the office once more.

"Daddy doesn't seem too pleased with you." Hope chuckled again in jest as she threw the comment at Landon right after the Sheriff made his exit. The dark-haired youth spun around and pointed a finger at Hope in warning, anger creasing his features, but his lips didn't move.

"What's the matter? Cat caught your tongue?" She grins amusedly at him and he seemed to deflate, or perhaps finally decided she wasn't worth getting all worked up over. "Maybe this... Josette caught it." She pushed a little further as she tipped her head back in order to watch him from beneath the brim of her hat.

"You keep that name from your mouth, filth!" He snapped at her when she mentioned the female's name, quickly exposing his weakness.

"Ooh such a sore spot. I'm guessing she's this lady of yours that I've heard about." Hope crooned and moved off the bench once more, sauntering over to the bars of the cell. "If you don't want to talk about her, then at least tell me more about this bounty. You know I love a good chase."

"I wish I could slap a bounty on YOUR head, Mikaelson." He grunted, but then gave it some thought. Hope Mikaelson was notorious, and he knew if anyone would be able to catch Big Bill Bruiser it would be her and her lackeys.

She arched her brow curiously at him, almost seeing the gears spinning in his head. Finally he relented and gestured to the poster Rafael was busy tacking up against the wall. "He's wanted for questioning in connection to a case of attempted kidnapping. He is suspected to be working for the Manson gang."

Hope frowns as she narrows her eyes at the picture on the poster, the man with the thick mustache looking vaguely familiar. "Who did he try to nab?" She asked curiously.

"The mayor's daughter. He was last seen on the road to the North-West of town where some rogue apparently foiled his plan and saved the lady. When we got to the scene he was gone." Landon explained, somewhat reluctantly, but he figured it couldn't hurt if it would mean that he could get the Mikaelson gang to solve a problem for him.

Hope's eyes, on the other hand, had gone exceptionally wide when he described the incident, knowing very well that she was this so-called 'rogue' that had - apparently - saved the Mayor's daughter. Damn! That HAD to be worth something. Perhaps she'll go pay him a visit... And get another glimpse of that beauty once more.

Hope had been struggling to get the lady off of her mind, her beauty scorched into Hope's memory like a photograph. However, finding out that she was the Mayor's daughter, Hope knew that her chances of getting near the young woman were about zero to none. That kind of high society did not waste their time with low-life outlaws.

Just then, as if summoned, the much thought about beauty burst through the door to the office with another young blonde lady in tow. Hope nearly jumped back against the bars on the opposite end of the cage, but rather opted for turning her face away slightly as she leaned into the corner shadows and covered her brow with her hat. She listened carefully as she tried to remain unnoticed.

"Josette. Elizabeth." Landon had also been caught off guard and his voice shook a bit as the two suddenly entered. Even Rafael suddenly stood upright and at attention upon the entry of the two women. "What are you doing here? This is hardly a place for a lady." Landon reached for Josette's hand and the blood in Hope's veins ran cold.

So the woman she had saved was not only the Mayor's daughter, but also the woman that Landon had been seeing? What the... Her head felt like it might just spin loose from atop her shoulders.

"None of that." Josette spat out curtly and pulled her hand from Landon's grip, clearly upset with him. "My sister and I overheard the Sheriff talking to Gary down at the general store and he was making an awful racket about you apparently 'messing with them Mikaelsons again'."

Hope's heart stumbled and missed several beats at the mention of her family name, so she sucked in a deep breath and tried to keep still and quiet as to not be noticed.

"M'lady, that's not something for you to be worried about." Landon insisted, but his tone was placating as he tried to calm a clearly agitated Josette.

"No? Should I worry when they come tell me you've succumbed to the wrong end of a gun barrel? I have warned you before, Mister Kirby, that I do not intend on wasting my time on a dead man walking!" Josette's words were almost venomous as she pushed them through her teeth. Hope thought that if these two really were in a relationship with each other, then it was much more strained than she had thought.

"I assure you, Raf was with me," he motioned to the strong and silent type behind him from whom Elizabeth had hardly been able to keep her eyes, "and we detained the... suspect easily enough..." he wavered slightly as he motioned somewhere in Hope's general direction, causing Josette to glance her way for the first time since she had entered the office.

Hope knew there was no more hiding now. She might as well try to make an impression. 

"Howdy ma'am." Hope let the most charming grin she could muster spread along her lips as she slowly stepped towards the bars of the cell again, her icy blue eyes piercing holes straight through the darkness of Josette's gaze. "Hope Mikaelson. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She nearly purred her words as one hand stretched through the bars of the cell in offering, the other hand having politely removed her hat from her head, leaving wild auburn locks to spill over her shoulders instead.

Before Josie could make either a move or a sound, Landon had his six-shooter aimed at Hope's head, fire dancing in his eyes. "Withdraw your hand or lose it."

Hope's grin widened as she retracted her hand and raised both to the level of her eyes in a show that she meant no harm. "Damn, Kirby. Aren't you just the luckiest son of a bitch that I'm standing here unarmed." She chuckled and shook her head. "And now you've gone and made me curse in front of these fine ladies."

Josette's chocolate gaze had not moved an inch from Hope as soon as she had introduced herself, allowing herself the luxury of sizing the woman up by measuring every inch from head to toe. When Hope dared to glance back to those eyes again, they seemed like chocolate pools of delight that Hope thought she could happily get lost in for a night. There was no denying that this woman sparked a very dangerous and enticing flame low within Hope's abdomen.

"A girl? You caught a girl?" The corner of Josette's mouth twitched as she finally removed her intent gaze from Hope and glanced back to Landon with a raised brow.

"She's not just a girl!" Landon spluttered and indignation crossed Hope's features, though she very quickly let it melt away and smirked instead, her eyes never leaving the beautiful sight of Josette in her fine dress of silk and wine.

"Yeah, Officer Kirby, I'm just a girl..." Hope iterated with a decidedly wolfish grin that seemed to have Josette do a double take, suddenly not so sure about whether that statement was really true or not.

"Josette, Elizabeth, I do apologize for this... encumbrance upon your day. I think it's best that Officer Waithe here escorts you to the park, perhaps, while I deal with the last of what is needed to be dealt with her before I can join you for dinner this evening." Landon pressed his hat humbly to his chest as he tried to usher the women from the office, Rafael following suite.

Eventually they had exited and Hope was no longer privy to the conversation, but the Devil be sure that Josette did not set her foot through that door before leaving Hope with one lingering, and electrifying, look of curiosity.


End file.
